Employment law

SANDS’ well-regarded employment law team provides authoritative advice to boards of directors, management and HR departments in a broad spectrum of private and public enterprises on all aspects of individual and collective employment law. Our client list includes some of Norway’s largest enterprises, in addition to foreign clients. At the centre of employment law, we find people in transition. SANDS’ presence in all parts of Norway, our professional experience, affiliation with educational institutions and large capacity mean that we always can be a reliable advisor providing close follow-up.

Employment law touches many legal fields. SANDS is a large law firm with many targeted practice areas with which the employment law group collaborates closely. We offer transactional advice to investors and corporate clients in mergers, demergers and acquisitions. This includes assessments related to transfers of undertakings, drafting provisions regarding employees in transaction documents and due diligence, as well as advice related to reorganisation of the enterprise and subsequent workforce reductions. We also provide assistance related to pensions, personal privacy and intellectual property rights.

Dispute resolution is an unavoidable part of employment law. The actual financial, operational and reputational costs of these conflicts are often underestimated. All our employment lawyers are experienced in conflict resolution, negotiations and litigation before the courts. We have several cases before the Supreme Court of Norway and lawyers admitted to practice there.

Presence and the Human Factor

While SANDS always seeks the best possible result for our clients, we have great respect for the human aspect, which is a key consideration in employment law. We work closely with the client to ensure that operational and human factors are integrated in the legal advice.

Employment law is not carried out over the telephone. We have many lawyers at SANDS’ regional offices who always ensure personal, local contact and follow-up. This also makes SANDS suited to assist major central processes in enterprises with many affected units at various locations in Norway.

Employment law is constantly developing and exposed to trends. Sometimes the focus is on workforce reduction processes; at other times it is on recruitment. We have a breadth of experience in our employment law department, which ensures that you always get the right specialist expertise.

Some things are constant. At its core, an employment relationship is much the same today as it was a few decades ago: a great deal of sensitive information and delicate problems that are handled carefully for both large and small firms. Clients’ desires are also the same as before: advice that provides confidence, and preferably to avoid cases that drag on. Being precise has always been important because even the smallest procedural error – such as forgetting a deadline – can lead to replays, damages claims and lawsuits.